Posts in the category Frostbike

First introduced at Frostbike 2014, iSSi was back at Frostbike 2015 with a reworked line up offering better performance across the board. For the first go around, iSSi pedals would work with SPD cleats, but they weren’t a perfect match. Good news for anyone with multiple bikes that already have Shimano SPD pedals, the new iSSi pedals are all SPD compatible offering a much better feel when used with SPD cleats. The improvements don’t just apply to SPD cleats however, as the guts of the pedal have been redesigned to offer better function and feel with the included cleats from iSSi.

Of course color is a big part of the iSSi story as well and there are a few new options like the blingtastic gold pedal above…

Quick – you’re reaching for your bottle. What hand do you use? According to Kinetic, if you’re like most riders you favor a particular hand, likely your dominant one. That begs the question, if you’re constantly grabbing the bottle from one side of the frame, why do most bottle cages only have the split located dead center on the frame? Filed in the category of why didn’t I think of that, the new Kinetic Twenty20 water bottle cage addresses that very issue.

Simple, affordable, and light, the Twenty20 cage may have you rethinking your current bottle holders…

Just under a year ago, we caught wind of the first 27.5+ offering when Vee Tire Co. informed us that their Trax Fatty model would soon be available in a 27.5×3.25″ model. Looking around the show there were a few generic bikes fitted with the new tire size, but nothing that would have suggested it catching on in a big way. Now, headed into Taipei show and Sea Otter season there still aren’t a ton of options but it seems like the tide is swelling.

Originally planning just to offer the 27.5×3.25″ size, Vee is introducing two more widths to round out the line. Meant to fit better in smaller frames, Vee sees the Semi Fat market exploding in the coming year…

Sometimes things don’t work out quite the way you hoped. That seems to be the case with the original Whisky No.9 disc fork which was pulled after their supply chain couldn’t keep up with the demand. Going back to the drawing board along with a completely new vendor, Whisky took the chance to rework the No.9, building on the success of the original. Now with an increased front to rear compliance of 15% while increasing torsional stiffness by 17%, the fork is better than ever and ready for a full relaunch.

Following up the incredible Inglis fat bike build we saw out at Saddle Drive, Whisky Brand Manager Matt Larson had this absolutely gorgeous Retrotec on hand to show off the No.9 fork. More than just a beautiful bike though, Matt incorporated some touching tributes to his and his wife’s late grandfathers which take the build to the next level….

If you were wondering just how short enduro stems could get, you’re looking at it. At 32mm long, the new Easton Haven 35 stem places the handlebar just 0.5mm away from the steerer. Any shorter and you would have to make the stem vertical, or run it backwards for a negative length. Built to accomdate Easton Haven and other 35mm handlebars, the CNC machined aluminum handlebar joins the rest of the Haven 35 stem line for options from 32-90mm long.

You can always count on the Problem Solvers booth at Frostbike for two things: clever new products, and feats of skill. Or in this case torque. You know there is always that battle between mechanics of the use of a torque wrench vs. the calibrated arm? Thanks to the Problem Solvers dorque test, the potential for mechanics to tighten a bolt to a specified torque was finally put to the test. PS had confident mechanics choose their weapon (3 way, multi tool, or L wrench) and then try to tighten a bolt to 5.6 Nm. Me personally? I was a bit under on the first go, then nailed it on number two. I suppose that’s better than going over?

While the dorque test was an easy distraction for the mechanically focused among us, in typical Problem Solvers’ fashion there were a few new products that are definitely worth a look…

If you haven’t already noticed, there seems to be a lot of buzz around mid fat wheels and tires, especially the new 27.5+ size. We’re already hearing rumors that Sea Otter will really be 650b+ Otter, and to go along with that a few companies are bulking up their tire options. Panaracer already offered their FatBNimble in 29+ and 26×4.0″ fat bike sizes, but the news from Frostbike is the addition of a 27×3.5″ size that is claimed to be impressively light…

There may be a renewed interest in flats lately, but that doesn’t mean everyone is ditching their clipless pedals – even for DH. In order to provide riders with more options, xpedo is very close to the launch of their new DH clipless pedal. Built around the CXR pedal for the clipless portion, the prototype DH has a large spring loaded cage that will provide a ton of extra support when clipped in or not. Built to allow the rider to find the pedal claws as easily as possible, the DH pedal won’t be available until probably Interbike later this year.

Until then can get a few more details plus check out the new Cyclocross oriented CXR after the jump…

You’ve got the ENVE M-Series Wheels, a riser bar, maybe even an ENVE seatpost. However, if you’re looking to complete your ENVE build on your trail or Enduro bike, the last piece of the puzzle is here. ENVE’s new Mountain Stem picks up where their Road Stems leave off with bar holders all the way down to the stubby 40mm. Claiming the best strength to weight ratio of any all mountain stem on the market, the carbon stem should be a perfect complement to your ride…